>>> CVsnare@cs.com 06/04/03 01:35PM >>>
Possibly the clay was rated 04-06 and was fired at 6? The kiln is
probably
not ruined, but I would try to remove all the slumped pieces of pottery
that I
could -- especially if it had glaze on it. Probably better to scoop out
small
pieces of the bottom firebrick, if necessary, to remove stuck shards
with
glaze on them, rather than leaving the glaze to reheat and continue to
"eat
through" the brick. Once you get it clean, you can always put a
full-sized kiln
shelf in the bottom and leave it there all the time (to provide a "new"
bottom on
top of the damaged firebricks). Just be sure to cover the shelf with
kilnwash
to help with future glaze drips, etc.
Jeff
at a high school in Georgia